The Holy Savior Cathedral ( hy, Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Վանք – ''Surb Amenaprkich Vank''; fa, کلیسای آمناپرکیچ – ''Kelisā ye Āmenāperkič''), also known the Church of the Saintly Sisters, is a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

located in the

New Julfa New Julfa ( fa, نو جلفا – ''Now Jolfā'', – ''Jolfâ-ye Now''; hy, Նոր Ջուղա – ''Nor Jugha'') is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the Zayande River. Established and named after the old ...

district of

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. It is commonly referred to as the Vank (; ), which means "monastery" or "convent" in the

Armenian language Armenian ( classical: , reformed: , , ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian Highlands, today Armenian is widely spoken t ...

History

The cathedral was established in 1606, built by the hundreds of thousands of

Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...

who were forcibly resettled by

Shah Abbas I Abbas I ( fa, ; 27 January 157119 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the 5th Safavid Shah (king) of Iran, and is generally considered one of the greatest rulers of Iranian history and the Safavid dynasty. He was the third so ...

in his new capital as part of his scorched-earth policy in Armenia during the Ottoman War of 1603-1618.David Blow
"Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King who Became an Iranian Legend"
I.B. Tauris. (original from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

) p 200 The varying fortunes and independence of this suburb across the Zayande River and its eclectic mix of European

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

, mercenaries and travelers can be traced almost chronologically in the cathedral's combination of building styles and contrasts in its external and internal architectural treatment.

Construction

The construction is believed to have begun in 1606 by the first arrivals, and completed with major alterations to design between 1655 and 1664 under the supervision of Archbishop David. The cathedral consists of a domed sanctuary, much like an

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

mosque, but with the significant addition of a semi-octagonal

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

and raised chancel usually seen in western churches. The cathedral's exteriors are in relatively modern brickwork and are exceptionally plain compared to its elaborately decorated interior.

Frescos

The interior is covered with fine

frescos Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster ...

and gilded carvings and includes a

wainscot Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling was developed in antiquity to make roo ...

of rich tile work. The delicately blue and gold painted central dome depicts the Biblical story of the creation of the world and man's expulsion from Eden.

Pendentive In architecture, a pendentive is a constructional device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or of an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points ...

s throughout the church are painted with a motif of a cherub's head surrounded by folded wings typical of Armenian art. The ceiling above the entrance is painted with delicate floral motifs in the style of

Persian miniature A Persian miniature ( Persian: نگارگری ایرانی ''negârgari Irâni'') is a small Persian painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works called a '' muraqqa''. T ...

. Two sections, or bands, of murals run around the interior walls: the top section depicts events from the life of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, while the bottom section depicts tortures inflicted upon Armenian

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

s by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Vank Cathedral 03.jpg, Interior of the Cathedral Catedral Vank, Isfahán, Irán, 2016-09-20, DD 115-117 HDR.jpg, Ceiling of the Holy Savior Cathedral Catedral Vank, Isfahán, Irán, 2016-09-20, DD 106-108 HDR.jpg, Depiction of Heaven, Earth, and Hell inside the Holy Savior Cathedral Catedral Vank, Isfahán, Irán, 2016-09-20, DD 95-97 HDR.jpg, Interior view of the Holy Savior Cathedral Catedral Vank, Isfahán, Irán, 2016-09-20, DD 112-114 HDR.jpg, Interior view of the Holy Savior Cathedral

Courtyard

The courtyard contains a large freestanding belfry towering over the graves of both

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

and

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

Christians. The graves include those of Sir George Malcolm, an English army officer, Alexander Decover, Russian consul and banker, and Andrew Jukes, English surgeon and agent of the British government. A tile work plaque inscribed in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

can be seen by the entrance to the cathedral. Graves are also placed along the exterior wall before the entrance, with inscriptions in Armenian. In one corner of the courtyard, there is a raised area with a memorial to the 1915

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

in Turkey. Across the courtyard and facing the cathedral, there is a building housing a library and museum. Outside of this building are several carved stones showing scenes from the Bible. Isfahan New Julfa R01.jpg, An old photograph of the Holy Savior Cathedral from the 1930s Vank Cathedral of Isfahan.jpg, Entrance of the courtyard Vank Cathedral 01.jpg, The cathedral Vank Cathedral courtyard.jpg, The courtyard of the Holy Savior Cathedral Entrance of the Holy Savior Cathedral (the Vank), New Julfa.JPG, Entrance of the Holy Savior Cathedral کلیسای سن سوروانک.jpg, Vank Cathedral at night

Library and museum

Museum of Khachatur Kesaratsi, New Julfa

The library contains over 700 handwritten books and many valuable and unique resources for research in Armenian and medieval European languages and arts. The museum displays numerous artifacts from the history of the cathedral and the Armenian community in Isfahan, including: * the 1606 edict of Shah Abbas I establishing

; * several edicts by Abbas I and his successors condemning and prohibiting interference with, or persecution of, Armenians and their property and affairs; * a historic printing press and the first book printed in Iran; *

vestments Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...

, monstrances, chalices, and other

sacrament A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...

al artifacts; *

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

costumes, tapestries, European paintings brought back by Armenian merchants, embroidery, and other treasures from the community's trading heritage; * ethnological displays portraying aspects of Armenian culture and religion; * an extensive display of photographs, maps, and Turkish documents (with translation) related to the 1915

in Turkey. The cathedral has greatly influenced the architecture and decorative treatment of many subsequent Orthodox churches in the region.

References

External links

More Photos, Tishineh

{{Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church Armenian Apostolic cathedrals Armenian Apostolic churches in Iran Oriental Orthodox congregations established in the 17th century Churches in Isfahan Tourist attractions in Isfahan Armenian Apostolic cathedrals in Iran 1606 establishments in Iran 17th-century churches in Iran